(a) Physician quality reporting system.

(1) ACOs, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, must submit the measures determined under §425.500 using a CMS web interface, to qualify on behalf of their eligible professionals for the Physician Quality Reporting System incentive under the Shared Savings Program.

(2)

(i) Eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant within an ACO may only participate under their ACO participant TIN as a group practice under the Physician Quality Reporting System Group Practice Reporting Option of the Shared Savings Program for purposes of receiving an incentive payment under the Physician Quality Reporting System.

(ii) Under the Shared Savings Program, an ACO, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant must satisfactorily report the measures determined under Subpart F of this part during the reporting period according to the method of submission established by CMS under the Shared Savings Program in order to receive a Physician Quality Reporting System incentive under the Shared Savings Program.

(3) If eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant within an ACO qualify for a Physician Quality Reporting System incentive payment, each ACO participant TIN, on behalf of its ACO supplier/provider participants who are eligible professionals, will receive an incentive, for those years an incentive is available, based on the allowed charges under the Physician Fee Schedule for that TIN.

(4) ACO participant TINs and individual eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant cannot earn a Physician Quality Reporting System incentive outside of the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

(5) The Physician Quality Reporting System incentive under the Medicare Shared Savings Program is equal to 0.5 percent of the Secretary's estimate of the ACO's eligible professionals' total Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule allowed charges for covered professional services furnished during the calendar year reporting period from January 1 through December 31, for years 2012 through 2014.

(b) Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment for 2015.

(1) ACOs, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, must submit one of the ACO GPRO measures determined under §425.500 using a CMS web interface, to satisfactorily report on behalf of their eligible professionals for purposes of the 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Shared Savings Program.

(2)

(i) Eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant within an ACO may only participate under their ACO participant TIN as a group practice under the Physician Quality Reporting System Group Practice Reporting Option of the Shared Savings Program for purposes of the 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Shared Savings Program.

(ii) Under the Shared Savings Program, an ACO, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, must satisfactorily report one of the measures determined under Subpart F of this part during the reporting period for a year, as defined in paragraph (b)(6) of this section, according to the method of submission established by CMS under the Shared Savings Program for purposes of the 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment.

(3) If an ACO, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, does not satisfactorily report for purposes of a 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment, each eligible professional who bills under the TIN of an ACO participant, will receive a payment adjustment, as described in paragraph (b)(5) of this section.

(4) ACO participant TINs and individual eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant cannot satisfactorily report for purposes of a 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment outside of the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

(5) For eligible professionals subject to the 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount for covered professional services furnished during the program year is equal to the applicable percent of the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount that would otherwise apply to such services under section 1848 of the Act.

(i) The applicable percent for 2015 is 98.5 percent.

(ii) The applicable percent for 2016 and subsequent years is 98.0 percent.

(6) The reporting period for a year is the calendar year from January 1 through December 31 that occurs 2 years prior to the program year in which the payment adjustment is applied.

(c) Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment for 2016.

(1) ACOs, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, must submit all of the ACO GPRO measures determined under §425.500 using a CMS web interface, to satisfactorily report on behalf of their eligible professionals for purposes of the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Shared Savings Program for 2016.

(2) Eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant within an ACO may only participate under their ACO participant TIN as a group practice under the Physician Quality Reporting System Group Practice Reporting Option of the Shared Savings Program for purposes of the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Shared Savings Program for 2016 and subsequent years.

(3) If an ACO, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, does not satisfactorily report for purposes of the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment for 2016 and subsequent years, each eligible professional who bills under the TIN of an ACO participant, will receive a payment adjustment, as described in §414.90(e) of this chapter.

(4) For eligible professionals subject to the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Medicare Shared Savings Program for 2016 and subsequent years, the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount for covered professional services furnished during the program year is equal to the applicable percent of the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount that would otherwise apply to such services under section 1848 of the Act, as described in §414.90(e) of this chapter.

(5) The reporting period for a year is the calendar year from January 1 through December 31 that occurs 2 years prior to the program year in which the payment adjustment is applied.

(d) Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment for 2017 and 2018.

(1) ACOs, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, must submit all of the ACO GPRO measures determined under §425.500 using a CMS web interface, to satisfactorily report on behalf of their eligible professionals for purposes of the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Shared Savings Program for 2017 and 2018.

(2) Eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant within an ACO participate under their ACO participant TIN as a group practice under the Physician Quality Reporting System Group Practice Reporting Option of the Shared Savings Program for purposes of the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Shared Savings Program for 2017 and 2018.

(3) If an ACO, on behalf of eligible professionals who bill under the TIN of an ACO participant, does not satisfactorily report for purposes of the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment for 2017 or 2018, each eligible professional who bills under the TIN of an ACO participant will receive a payment adjustment, as described in §414.90(e) of this chapter, unless such eligible professionals have reported quality measures apart from the ACO in the form and manner required by the Physician Quality Reporting System.

(4) For eligible professionals subject to the Physician Quality Reporting System payment adjustment under the Medicare Shared Savings Program for 2017 or 2018, the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount for covered professional services furnished during the program year is equal to the applicable percent of the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount that would otherwise apply to such services under section 1848 of the Act, as described in §414.90(e) of this chapter.

(5) The reporting period for a year is the calendar year from January 1 through December 31 that occurs 2 years prior to the program year in which the payment adjustment is applied, unless otherwise specified by CMS under the Physician Quality Reporting System.

[76 FR 67973, Nov. 2, 2011, as amended at 77 FR 69372, Nov. 16, 2012; 78 FR 74283, Dec. 10, 2013; 80 FR 71386, Nov. 16, 2015; 81 FR 80560, Nov. 15, 2016]